


Saltwater

by hoops (eydemons)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Golden Age of Piracy, Sirens, Written for a Class, there is a character who is drunk and wants oranges
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-17 22:37:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7288852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eydemons/pseuds/hoops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All she heard was singing. Lullabies, shanties, the humming of a maid as she scrubs the floors of her master’s home. She could hear it all and identify where it was coming from without a second thought. Everywhere, she could hear singing like it called to her, with every song sang, every lullaby murmured, she felt powerful, like the songs were for her, like their songs were prayers and she was a goddess.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saltwater

There was nothing left for her here. The home she had grown up in; gone, burnt to the ground in seemingly a blink of her eye. There was no insurance mark on her barely-fit-for-one-person home and was not eligible for firefighting services. She was forced to watch as her home and all her belongings were destroyed before her eyes. This was her home, and the entire city of London ignoring her cries as it burned. A candle, she remembered someone saying, something as simple as a flame that had burnt too high and caught the curtain above it aflame, changing her life forever.  
  
Daisy was only eighteen when she was forced into homelessness, with no family who could take her in, she was had to learn to get by with nothing but the clothes she wore and the pretty face she was blessed with. Her hair was a sun kissed dirty blonde and her eyes a hazel green, she was the very face of innocence, but that would only get her so far, and her goal was the New World, the colonies, the opportunities, she’d been told, were endless. She had more hope in a country she’d only ever heard of than in the city she’d lived in all her short life. She got as far as a job as barmaid in a pub, with a free place to sleep in the upstairs hotel rooms in exchange for her work, when she met Captain Murph of the ship called The Damned.

* * *

 

It was a the last hour of her work day when the large group of men entered the dark, candle lit pub, the sun had long since gone down, and Daisy herself was feeling the tiredness that came with a long day, but these men looked as lively as if they did not know the meaning of the word ‘sleep.’ A tricorn hatted man was among them. He was an ugly man, with a large unkempt beard, a crooked nose, and a scar curling up from his neck to the top of his hairline. He wore a large purple coat that draped around his large body, he was tall, though the coat was long enough to drag across the floor as he walked.

Daisy was not so ignorant that she did not know pirates and their captain when she saw them. Mostly, they tried to blend in, to not be obvious, though she always knew, their voices were rough, their accents foreign, their laughs mean, their walks the same.  

A man was sent in her direction, he was dressed similarly to the tricorn hatted Captain, his coat a dark green, there was a sense of authority surrounding him, an easiness to the way he walked, that Daisy guessed this man to be the first mate to the captain, who, behind them, was pulling out his chair and sitting bodily down at the head of the largest table in the pub. From where she was standing behind the bar she could see the dark spaces in the first mate’s mouth where teeth were missing from his ugly grin..

He sat directly across from her as she wiped clean a pint glass, he watched her set it down. “How much for a round?” he asked, she could smell his breath from where she stood.

Daisy didn’t answer his inquiry verbally, instead gestured behind herself with a jab of her thumb over her shoulder, to the chalkboard hanging on the wall just above her head. The man read the sign with squinted eyes, gave a disapproving sigh, then reached into an inner coat pocket and pulled out a coin purse, she watched as he poured coins onto the counter and slowly began counting out the required payment.

“Bit pricey, eh?” He asked, trying for small talk, as he slid the money across the bar while she poured the appropriate amount of drinks.

She eyed him lamely, “I don’t set the prices.” She explained, setting the drinks down on a tray for easy carry, then gathered up the money set down before her.

The man shrugged to her noncommittal response, “Fair ‘nough.” He said, getting down from the stool in which he had been sitting. As he was gathering the heavy tray into his arms an idea sprung to mind.

“Wait.” she insisted with a nervous inhale of breath.

The man turned, smirk on his lips, eyebrows raised in question, he placed the tray back down on the bar. “Yes?”

It was now or never, these men had clearly come from the colonies, the man before her had Betsy Ross’ flag sewn to the collar of his coat. She didn’t know where to start, another nerve settling inhale of breath erased the smirk on the man’s face, she began to panic. Then, her voice barely shaking, she asked, “You lot are from the colonies, no?”

He gave her the wariest look she’d ever seen on a pirate’s face, “That’s right, miss,” he said slowly, “From New York, we are.”

His crewmen were beginning to grow tired of waiting, some shouting obscenities, expressing their displeasure. The man, clearly intrigued in the pretty barmaid, yelled back over his shoulder in the same manner, and more or less, told them to be patient.

“Traders, then,” she said, feigning ignorance, “You’ll be heading back soon, no?”

The man nodded, sitting back down on the bar stool he previously occupied, and did not reply, wanting an explanation for her questioning. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, the chattering of the people around them drowned out by the pumping of blood in her ears.

She placed a hefty coin purse down on the bar, earnings from her year of work. If the man wasn’t intrigued in her before, he was now. “Take me with you.”

She watched the man’s eyes move from the coin purse to her face and back, in obvious distrust. She watched him set his jaw, turn away from her, gesture to the tricorn hatted captain, then turn back to her.

“What’s your name, then, miss?” He asked, as the captain stood from his chair and made his way towards the bar.

Not seeing any reason to lie to him, “Daisy.” She replied, her voice steady, her heart beat returning to a normal rate when the man didn’t react badly to her request.

The captain approached from the man’s left, took off his tricorn hat and set it down on the bar. He looked between his first mate and Daisy with a curious look, “Having trouble carrying all those drinks, Charles?” He teased.

The first mate, Charles, didn’t answer, but gave a subtle gesture towards the hefty coin purse he had not taken his eyes off of. “Daisy here wants to go to the colonies,” he explained, “Willin’ to pay, she is.”

The captain hummed as he picked a pint off the tray and took a quick swig of its bitter contents. “That so?” He asked, setting the pint back down. “Daisy is it?” He inquired slowly, sitting slowly in the nearest stool. She nodded once, as Charles handed his captain the coin purse for closer inspection. It was silent for a minute as the captain counted the money he had been offered, he gave a low whistle when he was finished.

“That’s everything I have,” she explained, feeling helpless as the captain set the coin purse down on the bar and gave Daisy a curious look.

“Y’know, Miss Daisy,” Charles started slowly, “We’d love to take your money, believe me,” he gave a low chuckle and shook his head, “but there are some superstitions surrounding women on ships, y’see.” He pushed the coin purse back towards her and she felt her heart sink into her stomach. “Bad luck, that is.”

“I won’t be a distraction,” she promised, pushing the coin purse away from her.“In fact, I could remain completely out of sight for the entire trip. Your men don’t even have to know I’m aboard.” She was desperate now, willing to do anything. “Please…” she pleaded, forcing tears into her eyes.

Charles began panicking, “Christ, don’t cry, Miss,” he pleaded, pushing the coin purse once again in her direction. “We just ca-” He was cut off by the captain’s hand scooping up the coin purse, not able to decline such a large amount of money. The coin purse disappeared into the captain’s coat and she knew she was going to the colonies.

The largest smile broke out across her face, her fake tears forgotten, she opened her mouth to thank the captain but was cut off by him too. His right hand reached out towards her and she quickly stuck hers out to meet his.

He took her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it once before letting it go, “Captain Murph at your service,”

* * *

She was to meet them two hours before sunrise the next morning so they could hide her in the small storage room below the ship’s deck before any of the crewmen were there to see her. All she brought on board with her was a single change of clothes and a hair brush. The room she was given was so small that when she stretched her arms out to the sides she could touch both walls at once. There was a porthole on the wall farthest from the door, and a sizeable amount of oranges underneath it to sustain her hunger until they were eaten or rotten. _And when they run out?_ She had asked, _I will come down here, say, once every two days? You’ll need water too._ Charles assured her. She was given a mattress to place on the ground, _Hope you don’t mind rats!_ He had laughed then turned around and left the room, locking it behind him. Then she was alone.

Charles told her that she could expect to reach New York _In hopefully, six to seven weeks._ She’d cursed, but knowing that was realistic. He had laughed at her, _Miss Daisy, just hope it’s not six to seven months!_ The idea of spending more than half a year on a ship set her stomach into knots, _Is that really possible?_ She had asked, _Depending on the weather..._ he’d trailed off nervously and with a wave of his hand said, _Don’t worry about it._ Though he did not sound too confident, then the conversation was over.    

From what Daisy could tell from looking out of her porthole; they had not seen a clear day at sea in two weeks. When she was not reading the poor selection of books Charles had found for her in the captain’s quarters she was trying her hardest to sleep through thunderstorms. Flashes of lightning were bright enough to light up her entire room, these were the nights she did not get any sleep. Storms brought rogue waves and every time she heard the desperate call she prepared herself for the icy salt water that would splash it’s way through the porthole.

Charles’ visits became shorter and further apart. Before, he had fully entered the room, closing the door behind him, and he was always carrying a small pitcher of water. Now, he wouldn’t even open the door all the way, instead he pushed the pitcher of water into the room, and without a single word, he was gone.

It was the end of the third, storm filled week, on a rarely calm day, when she woke up to someone pounding loudly on her door. Panic immediately set in, there was no hiding in this room. The pounding, she realised, was someone throwing themselves at the door. Slowly, she stood up from her bed, knowing the door wasn’t going to withstand much more of the abuse. With one more throw of their body, the door collapsed to the ground, and the person followed, loudly swearing as they went down.

Daisy let out a loud yelp as the door went down in front of her, having to move to stand on her bed to avoid being crushed. The man quickly got up from the floor, eyes wild, and his breathing hard. He smelled strongly of rum and salt, and the way he stood dizzily confirmed to her that he was drunk. She vaguely recognised him from the pub from three weeks ago. She watched as he slowly dusted himself off and stood up from where he had fallen, eyes on her the entire time. They both stood, watching each other with wide, startled eyes. This man had not been expecting to find a woman in the room he had forced his way into.

“Oranges.” He slurred in a hoarse voice, after what seemed to be minutes of silence.

She thought perhaps she had misheard him, “What?!” She questioned, incredulously.

“Oranges,” the man repeated, raising his voice, as he sniffed the air, looking around the small room, when he spotted the crate of half rotted oranges against the wall farthest from the door. He seemed to forget she was also in the room as he began rummaging through the crate of roughly two dozen oranges.

“What are you doing?!” She asked, her voice shrill, terrified that she had lost her door and had been discovered by this strange man.

He didn’t reply, his back was turned away from her and made no signs to signify he had heard her speak.

“Edward?” Shouted a man’s voice from somewhere nearby. Daisy’s heartbeat rattled in her chest as the voice continued to call for the strange man standing in her room searching for the perfect orange.

The man, Edward, turned around, orange in hand, a strange fond-but-exasperated look on his face. “Here, Jack!” He called out, eyes turning towards Daisy once more, expression turning cold, eyes daring her to run, to see how far she could get, she stayed put, trying to settle the panic building up in her chest. The man, Jack, appeared in the doorway seconds later, eyes on the floor where the door now lay.

“Jesus, Ed. What the hell’d you…” he trailed off, finally seeing Daisy. “Holy shit.”

Edward turned towards his friend and held out the hand he held the fruit in, “Orange?” He offered.

Jack smacked his hand away, “No I don’t want a -” he groaned at his friend in frustration, cutting himself off, then looked incredulously to his friend, needing an explanation, too bewildered.

“Smelled oranges,” shrugged Edward, “Door was locked.” He explained, turning his attention towards unpeeling the orange.

“You know that’s not what I mean, Ed.” Said an exasperated Jack, then turned towards Daisy, and pointed a finger at her angrily. “Explanation. Now.”

Daisy’s eyes widened, all the attention in the small room was on her and she felt even more claustrophobic than ever. “I-”

She was cut off by the sight of the tricorn hatted captain approaching from behind Jack. Her eyes widened and she inhaled a sharp breath. Edward seemed to have a similar reaction, and Jack turned around to see what had caused the two to go rigged and silent. The two men murmured identical greetings of _Captain_ as he made his way past Jack and into the small storage room. He was scowling as he slowly removed his hat and shoved it in the arms of Jack who was standing the closest to him.

The captain’s eyes went from the door laying on the ground, to Edward, to Daisy, to Jack, then back to Edward. “Does anyone wanna explain to me what’s happened here?” He asked calmly, which set Daisy’s pulse off at a rapid pace, the man was clearly furious, and his calm voice was unsettling.

“I - uh,” sputtered Edward.

“Spit. It. Out.” The captain demanded through gritted teeth.

Edward cleared his throat, visibly sweating under the dark gaze of his captain. He seemed to sober up in seconds, “I was trying to get into the room and -”

“Oh really?” Taunted the captain.

Edward continued, trying to remain seemingly unaffected by the captain’s interruption and hard stare, “I could smell the oranges and I was _so_ hungry, sir,” he gestured, desperate, to the half peeled orange, “I swear I don’t think I’ve eaten in four days.”

The captain smiled an ugly smile, eyes blazing with fury as he stepped on the door and made his way to stand face to face with Edward. The captain was at least half a foot taller, and he looked down on Edward with fire in his eyes. Daisy wanted nothing but to disappear.

“So you were hungry, hmm?” Clarified the caption with a fake boisterous laugh, “So I should just let this all go?” He questioned, Daisy watching as his right hand crossed over his chest towards the left side of his belt. His hand came to rest on the pistol hidden underneath his coat.

Edward only had eyes for the pistol the captain contemplated with his fingers. “Please, Cap’n, it won’t happen ag-” it was the last thing he said before a bullet entered his chest and was lodged in the wall of the ship.

Daisy felt herself scream but couldn’t hear it over the ringing in her ears. She watched as the man fell to his knees, as he tried to breath through the pain in his chest and the blood filling up his mouth, she watched as his eyes glazed over and he collapsed fully onto the ground. In the doorway Jack sunk to his knees next to his friend, hat forgotten, hands going to the pulse point on Edward’s neck, desperately searching for a sign of life. When he found none he lowered his head and Daisy was sure she heard murmured praying.

She felt as though she was going to throw up what little she had in her stomach. She sat down slowly on her mattress on the floor, shaking all over.

“Don’t throw up me now, Daisy.” Said the captain, as he returned the gun to its holster with total nonchalance. He leaned down to pick his hat up from where Jack had dropped it. Daisy didn’t reply, not able to make any promises, just squeezed her eyes tightly closed and pressed one hand to her stomach and the other to her temple, trying not to think about the dead body now lying on the floor of the small room.

“You..” started Jack in a small voice, “killed him….” Daisy opened her eyes slowly as she watched him stumble to his feet. He looked on the verge of tears and Daisy had to think maybe there was something stronger than friendship between the two men, but then she caught sight of the dead body on the floor again and shut her eyes tight, forgetting the idea. “You didn’t have to do that…”

The captain barked out a real genuine laugh that chilled Daisy to the bone, “Didn’t I?” Asked the captain, giving the body a kick, making Jack recoil towards the wall, “He thought _he_ was hungry? That _he_ was the only one who’s gone without food?” The captain shook his head, “Not a single man’s had anything to eat in four days!” He started moving his hand towards his gun again and Daisy felt bile rise in her throat, she placed a hand over her mouth the push it back. The captain swore loudly and hit his fist against the wall, making her and Jack startle violently. “You know what I think?” He asked, a wild look in his eyes, looking back and forth between Jack and Daisy, they both shrugged in unison, words lost in their throats, and he continued, “I think…” he grinned a wicked grin at Daisy, “That all this… shite weather, all the crewmen I’ve lost to the sea below, the disappearance of our food…” he trailed off, pulling the gun out from its holster once again. “I think it’s got to do with the fact that I let you,” he pointed the barrel of the pistol at Daisy’s head, “on my ship.”

* * *

Daisy did not expect to end up here. She was going to go to the colonies, start anew in a new country, be happy for once. She was to stay out of sight, the crewmen not meant to know she was even aboard the ship. But now they all knew. Now they were debating whether or not to throw her overboard. To let her drown. All the blame for the hardships they had seen placed on her shoulders as she stood next to the captain at the helm of the ship, arms and legs tied with an old rope, a cloth was stuffed in her mouth and tied behind her head. Standing on the deck of the ship was the first she had seen the sky in a month and as the men around her decided her fate she tilted her head back and watched the storm clouds move in over head. Their voices were background noise in her ears as a bird flew in circles directly above her, she felt hypnotised, and separate from her body.

She was nudged from behind and she felt as if someone had woken her from a good dream. Whoever was behind her was pushing her towards the starboard side ship, where the plank was located. Her heartbeat was hammering away in her chest and she could feel herself shaking in fear. This was really happening. She’d survived losing her home, all of her belongings, being homeless, and nearly four weeks at sea, and this is how it was going to end, because they believed her responsible for the misfortune they’d had since they’d left England.

She stood in front of the plank, staring at the railing it sat on, she would not be able to reach it without help. Someone behind her lifted her up from under her arms and set her down on the plank. A gruff looking man with a missing eye gestured for her to lean down, she did and he removed the cloth from her mouth and let it hang at her neck. Then, she turned around and was followed along the plank, a gun at her back as she walked, and when the plank ended and she stood at the very edge, she closed her eyes in prayer. Whoever was behind her had decided she was taking to long and gave her a hard push with the butt of his gun and she was sent into the icy sea below.

* * *

It shouldn’t of been peaceful, was her only thought as she sunk to the bottom of the ocean, her lungs were constricting and her heartbeat was slowing but she was not panicking like she was sure she would. First and foremost, she felt sick with betrayal and lost opportunity, the desire for revenge strong in her heart. She thought maybe she’d seen the bird flying in circles, when finally she succumbed to the water in her lungs.

* * *

When she woke up two soft, beautiful voices were singing in her ears. She felt that same tranquillity she had when staring up at the circling bird in the sky, when she could feel her heart slowing in her chest. She couldn’t feel the calming presence of her heartbeat any longer, nor was there the steady rising and fall of her chest and she breathed.

 _Was this heaven, then?_ She asked herself as she lay on the ocean floor, watching the fish swim in circles around her, listening to the calming female voices that seemed to get closer and closer to her as they sung. She felt as if, here, at the bottom of the ocean, she could sleep, her eyes began to sag, and, unable to keep them open, she let them close.

All at once, the singing got louder as if it had gotten closer, she could’ve sworn she’d heard a gasp, and the singing stopped. Her eyelids were so heavy that she didn’t react when what felt like hands started touching her face and hair.

 _“Another one?”_ asked a sad female voice to her left. She felt a hand tug through her hair, and two more on her cheek. _“She’s so young!”_

 _“And pretty!”_ Said another female voice from her right.

The first voice cut in again, _“What could she have possibly done wrong to end up down here?”_

A hand ran down her neck and she shivered at the contact. Curious, to see who had decided to pester her while she slept she slowly opened her eyes.

 _“Oh! Look at her eyes!”_ Was whispered from her right as she blinked her eyes repeatedly while they protested to the salt water, slowly her eyes focused and she found herself with two faces inches from hers.

 _“Hello.”_ She choked out, watching as the words left her mouth through the water and spread towards the two in front her.

A large, toothy grin spread across both the girl’s mouths. _“Hello!”_ They said cheerfully in unison. The girl to her left had blonde hair, in contrast to Daisy’s dirty blonde,, but her eyes were a light green. She had a tan tone to her skin and a shocking amount of freckles covering her cheeks. The girl to her right was nearly the exact opposite, her hair was a dark brown, her eyes even darker, with skin the colour of chestnut. Her only thought of them was that they were beautiful.

 _“What happened to me?”_ She asked.

Their large grins disappeared, _“You died.”_ They explained bluntly, again in unison.

Daisy nodded, aware of this, “ _Then why am I--”_ she tried to gesture with one of her arms, struggling for words, and was unhappily reminded of the ropes tying them together, the two seemed to notice this and immediately moved around her to remove them. It was at this moment she noticed their lower halves. In the place of where two appendages normally would be was a long fish like tail. Her jaw lowered and she gaped at them. They didn’t notice her staring as they worked on removing the ropes from her arms.

 _“Alive?”_ the girl with the pale skin finished for her, a twinkle in her light green eyes. The rope came loose and she was reminded of her own tied up legs. She was happy to see two appendages and ten toes when she looked down. The two followed her gaze, and the toothy grin followed.

 _“You won’t have those for much longer,”_ the darker skinned girl assured her.

If Daisy’s heart could beat it would be hammering away, she was sure. _“What,”_ she pleaded, desperately confused.

They looked just confused as she felt at her confusion, _“When you died,”_ explained the pale skinned girl, _“Your desire for revenge was so strong.”_ She seemed to think that was an adequate explanation, and changed the topic, _“Your name, then!”_ She exclaimed, as they appeared inches away from her face again.

 _“Daisy.”_ She answered simply.

 _“Daisy!”_ They repeated in unison, _“What a pretty name!”_  They complimented, both giving her a kiss on the forehead, she wasn’t sure what it was for, but accepted the affection anyways.

 _“Mine’s Clara!”_ Said the pale skinned girl with a gesture to herself.

 _“Mine’s Annie!”_ Said the other.

 _“Clara. Annie.”_ Daisy repeated slowly, _“Pretty.”_ She returned the compliment, with a shy grin. Their eyes widened, like it was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to them.

Clara and Annie turned to each other, _“Aw, she’s so sweet.”_ Said Annie in a low voice, _“What do you think she’ll think when she finds out?”_

 _“Find out what?”_ They weren’t very good at whispering.

Clara and Annie gave each other wary looks, then turned back to Daisy with sheepish grins, _“Have you ever heard of a siren?”_ asked Clara.

* * *

She had. Briefly. Daisy had spent enough time working in a pub surrounded by superstitious, myth believing pirates, that she had heard enough about sirens. They were dangerous yet beautiful women that lured men with their hypnotising and enchanting voices to shipwreck on nearby islands, to their deaths.

Clara and Annie explained to her that, because of the desire for revenge Daisy had experienced when she was killed by the tricorn hatted captain and his crew was so loud in her mind as she died, it called like a siren’s song would to Persephone, whom the sirens were a companion to. It was a desirable thing, revenge, Daisy thought. To make those who had killed her pay for her senseless death. But she couldn’t understand how two people, as sweet as Clara and Annie, could be capable of such things. _We’re only sweet to our own_ , Annie had explained, sending chills down Daisy’s spine.

The day she lost her legs had been oddly peaceful, they had disappeared in a shimmer of bright light and after it had faded it felt as if she had had a scaly tail attached to her lower half all her life. She felt at home, powerful and at peace miles under water.

Then, all she heard was singing. Lullabies, shanties, the humming of a maid as she scrubs the floors of her master’s home. She could hear it all and identify where it was coming from without even thinking about it. Everywhere, she could hear singing like it called to her, with every song sang, every lullaby murmured, she felt powerful, like the songs were for her, like their songs were prayers and she was a goddess.

* * *

It was a week later when she heard them. For days she’d focused, drowned out those unimportant and focused on what was. The shanties sang by the crew of The Damned made their way into her mind and their singing was piercing loud in her mind. Their singing like alarms in her mind directing her to them. They weren’t hard to find. She knew the course they had taken, England to New York was a common and well travelled route so even without the blaring alarms of their out of tune shanties, she, Annie, and Clara had no trouble finding and identifying the large ship.

When the three of them began singing the enchanting siren song, that Daisy had never even been taught, the lyrics coming instinctively to her, she had to wonder if any of the crewmen felt bad for her death. There was the captain, who had taken her money, let her spend a month on his ship, then sent her to her death. _He was to die first_ , she thought. Then there was his first mate, Charles, who had originally declined her requests to come aboard. He was to die with the rest of the crew who thought her the cause of all their hardships. There was one she would spare, though. Jack. She sincerely doubted a man who just had the person closest to him killed would have much love for his captain any longer or agree with any of his ridiculous superstitions. He was most likely the only man aboard the ship that had not wanted her dead.

The song they sing, Daisy is told, is a promise to Odysseus of mantic truths; with a promise that they he will live to tell them. It’s a slow song, with death of the listener being the outcome. Daisy hoped Jack would not be listening.

 _Once he hears to his heart's content, sails on, a wiser man._  
_We know all the pains that the Greeks and Trojans once endured_  
_on the spreading plain of Troy when the gods willed it so—_ _  
_ all that comes to pass on the fertile earth, we know it all!

The tune is ethereal and chilling to the bone and has the immediate desired effect. The nearby island hit unceremoniously with the large ship. The island, being mostly foliage comprised of dense forests, forces the crewmen into the water. She was aware of such a violent crash into the side of an island would of caused the deaths of a few men, the impact sending them off the ship and into the shallow water below. Slowly, men were climbing down from the ship and dropping down into the water below, shivering as the went down.

She watched with hungry eyes as the tricorn hatted captain splashed his way into the water and towards the safe haven of the sandy beaches. Annie and Clara continued their song from a distance while Daisy stalked up behind the captain and those few who followed him. He led the group, so when he was dragged underwater by Daisy’s iron grip, guns were drawn and men cried out in a panic. She held him under the water until he stopped thrashing and clawing at her, trying desperately to return to the surface, to stay alive. She hoped he knew how she’d felt when she had died as in his last moments of consciousness, she forced his eyes to her face, and with the shock of the face of his murderer on his face, he died in the cold salty water.

She turned her attentions towards the captain’s crewmen and immediately found Charles. The crewman were too far from the shore that in the time it had taken the captain to drown by her hand, the pirates were not even halfway to their destination. She swam fast after them, pulling each down by the ankle, sending them careening backwards, hitting their heads on the hard rocks below. Charles was furthest away, having been next to the captain when she’d forced him underwater. She pulled his feet out from under him but caught him as he fell, then, as she forced his head underwater, she made sure he knew who had killed his fellow crewmen and his captain. Then he was dead. True to her silent word, Jack remained alive. She had allowed for him to reach the shore, as the song ended with the entire crew but one dead.

Jack had remained on the shore, collapsing the moment he’d reached dry land. She stuck her head out of the water and made enough noise that she was revealed to him.

“You.” he gasped, when he saw her face. He was clearly distraught, face red with exertion and panic. “How?” He asked, only able to form one word sentences due to panic and confusion.

She shifted her body, allowing him to see the lower half of her new body, and his eyes went wide with realisation. _“I’ve kept you alive,”_ she explained, _“because I know what it’s like to lose everything.”_

He looked confused, “You think this upsets me?” He asked angrily. “This is quite possibly the best thing to ever happen to me.”

 _“You know that is not what I mean.”_ She said softly, feeling Clara and Annie swim in circles around her underwater and out of sight from Jack, a form of affectionate comfort, she presumed.

Realisation dawned on Jack’s face; she’d been there when Edward had been shot. Seen how he’d reacted; like someone losing a lover.

“You’re right,” he admitted, unshed tears pooling in his eyes. He looked even more exhausted than he had before. “You’ve done me a great favour, miss..” He struggled for a moment, not knowing her name.

 _“Daisy.”_ She supplied, a small smile on her face.

“Daisy.” He repeated with a small sad smile. Daisy watched as a tear made it’s way down his cheeks.“Thank you.” His gratitude was genuine.

Then, she was gone.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> i got a pretty good mark on this but i made like 0 effort to fix any plot holes or things that were just weird... who knows maybe i will one day i love daisy she's my siren child.
> 
> there is a character called edward can you guess where i got the insp for that
> 
> also i started liking edward/jack more than where i was going with this story so idk.... spin off my guys
> 
> also x2 all that bullshit on Odysseus at the end i practically ripped from wikipedia dont tell my english 11 teacher


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